Favorite resource:The local thrift store, to get rid of kitchen miscellaneous stuff. To make everything fit easily, I got rid of most of our kitchen stuff. What we do have we use daily and for multiple purposes (eg. small French tumblers are used for both juice & wine). This give us more space overall and makes life simple.

Inspiration:Every kitchen needs to have one strong color!...

Inspiration Cont'd:...I chose the bold blue to complement the stainless silver and to give it a modern flair. The before photo shows the original of the kitchen when we moved in, a typically drab disaster. As part of an apartment-wide gut renovation, we changed the orientation of the sink & stove to that of a small galley, making the kitchen space very functional while allowing the seating area to stay close to the window.

Tip:Mix cheap with splurge. We chose cheap, simple solutions for the sink/shelving from IKEA (UDDEN freestanding unit), keeping an open shelving for the dishes and simple layout. We splurged on the Summit refrigerator (which is very low energy and slimmer than most) and Avanti 24 stove. All the stainless items blend well and make the whole space look fancier than it really is. The rolling cart next to the stove is used as counter space and stores much of our smaller appliances and is easily moved out of the way for a party, when everyone gathers in the kitchen. Another tip: halogen lights really make the stainless sparkle, and dimmers allow for a more intimate environment.

- Jessica

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Faith is the executive editor of The Kitchn and the author of three cookbooks. They include The Kitchn Cookbook, coauthored with Sara Kate Gillingham, as well as Bakeless Sweets. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Mike.